Romantasy is hot, romantasy is everywhere and romantasy is exactly what I want and read. However, I think this is the first dystopian romantasy I've come across in a while. Since the book sounded a little like Touch Me meets Fourth Wing I was insanely curious. My special edition was already pre-ordered and then I got an email from Del Rey that they had an e-arc available for me through Netgalley. I of course didn't hesitate and grabbed it!

This book is exactly what it promises to be. In a dystopia, where people with powers are hated and hunted by those without, two people, both on the other side of the conflict, fall in love. I have to admit that the world-building could have been better. It feels a little weird that I still don't really understand how the powers came to be and how this version of the world is related to ours. However, if you can ignore all that, this book is a fun, quick, entertaining, romantic and thrilling read.

That's partly because the heroine of the story is both relatable and the right amount of reckless. Yes, at times she does stupid and impulsive things, but when she notices that it's not getting her anywhere or that it's getting her in trouble, she knows when to start being smarter. I also like that there is room for debate. She's not automatically seeing one side as the good guys and the other as the bad guys, which is quite refreshing in this genre.

I also quite liked the romance. Although I love a slow burn, especially when we're talking about enemies to lovers, in this case it felt quite fitting that they were not waiting half a book before admitting that there was something there. They were both the type of characters to just go for what they want. Life is already short enough. However, the finale is not so happily ever after and with all the political reveals I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 as I love dystopian books and this sounded reminiscent of series which I grew up reading and adored at the time. This book felt like reading a mix of elements from Divergent, Shatter Me and Fourth Wing, and I had a really enjoyable, nostalgic reading experience with it! The plot was fast-paced, there were some intriguing side characters and high stakes, and I think the ending of this first book has set up what has the potential to be a really great trilogy – hopefully the world-building will be explored further and expanded upon in the next book as this was what I found most interesting! I was not overly invested in the romance and struggled to connect to the main love interest, who I felt lacked a bit of depth, but I enjoyed how unpredictable Wren was as a main character (despite a few questionable decisions). Although I predicted one of the story's reveals, there was plenty of action and plot twists to keep me guessing throughout, and the ending particularly stood out to me. I am very intrigued to see where the next book takes the story and I will definitely be continuing on with the series!
If you enjoyed the Dauntless training programme from Divergent, the tension-filled romance from Fourth Wing, and the world-building from Shatter Me, I think you would really like this book! 💙

5 stars - arc review. This is my first dystopian fantasy and omg it was amazing. The world building, the characters, the twists, all truly amazing. I’m obsessed with Cross and following Wren’s perspective from the beginning, I was hooked. I’m gutted I have to wait for the sequel but I also can’t wait it’s gonna be amazing. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

Silver Elite 4 stars

Been a while since I've read dystopian fiction and while there were a few issues, overall it was very enjoyable and bingeable.

Starting with the good, the first half of this book was an easy 5 stars. The story is told in the first-person of Wren, our FMC, and her POV is funny and enjoyable to follow. The plot gets going right away and the author is great at avoiding info-dumping so you feel involved in the world building and pick up on its intricacies in a really natural way. It's a page-turner and there's plenty of action (even if it some of it gets a bit ridiculous at times).

Overall, I did really like Wren - she's fiery, stubborn and holds her own well. However, she does make a series of bad decisions that became harder and harder to justify and felt downright frustrating by the end. She says herself her biggest flaw is being impulsive and that definitely was true and made me want to shake her at times for being so stupid. That said, her journey and development as the book progresses was interesting to read and super intrigued to see how that continues with the next book.

Cross is the MMC and his relationship with Wren has great tension to begin with and plenty of will-they-won't-they. I will say Cross felt a bit less developed than Wren (often happens with first-person narratives I guess) and again some of his plot just felt like it didn't make much sense / was pretty unrealistic.

There were a couple of "plot twists" that you can see coming from a mile off. There was one in particular that I think was meant to be huge but also I just felt wasn't necessary / felt a bit much (and I'm sure people can guess which one I'm talking about).

That all said, I am excited to see where the next book goes. I think this book does a lot of setting up and has a huge amount of potential to be a great series.

ARC Review: Silver Elite by Dani Francis
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I would give it infinite stars if I could)

If you want a book that will emotionally wreck you then this is your book! I will take zero criticism about this book!

This book ripped my heart out and then stamped all over it! The whole book was a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every freaking minute of it! The thrill, the adventure, the heat and the passion, the banter, the laughter… I could literally go on and on.

We meet Wren Darlington, a young woman forced to conceal her psychic abilities from the world. After loosing the one person she loved and trusted in the world, she’s thrown into a journey that will lead her to discover who she is and who she can trust. So many twist and turns lead her down a path where she is forced to constantly watch her back.

Move over Xaden Riorson because Cross Redden is in the house! That man can do no wrong in my opinion! The definition of hotness with just the right touch of obsessiveness, protectiveness, love and danger! I freaking love this man!!!

There are also so many side characters with personalities to suit all. I laughed out loud at the banter which was truly hilarious at times. I cried at the heartbreak the characters felt and the devastating losses and betrayals.

This book will take you on a never ending journey of emotional chaos from start to finish and you will absolutely freaking love it!

Come find me when you have finished because I will be talking about this book FOREVER!!!!! My absolute favourite of the year so far! ❤️‍🔥

Thank you SO much to @authordanifrancis, @netgalley, @randomhouse and @delreybooks for the ARC. I feel so incredibly blessed and truly grateful.

#SilverElite #BookReview #DaniFrancis #EnemiesToLovers #BookstagramUK #CrossRedden #WrenDarlington #SpicyBooks #DystopianRomance #UpcomingRelease #Bookish #Bookstagram #Booksta #FoundFamily #Banter #bookreviewers #ARCReader #NetGalley #romanempirebooks #5starreads #bookworm #booklover #mustread #fivestarreads

Firstly, thank you so much for NetGalley, Del Rey and Dani Francis for providing me with an advanced copy ahead of Silver Elite’s release, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity!

This was everything and MORE I wanted from an adult dystopian romance, and was truly one of the best new releases I’ve read in such a long time!!! I actually can’t quite pull together how much I ADORED this book, it was intriguing, exciting, super compelling and paced incredibly.

The characters were layered and interesting, and I loved the snippets we got of both modified and prime members, and the x-men like powers and system it’s governed in was SO COOL, and I thought the politics were realistic and kept the overarching plot together really well.

I loved Wren, she was the perfect mix of competent but still insulated by her upbringing, it was so interesting seeing her learn about the world and become more integrated into command life as a cadet - she has just the right amount of ego, naïveté and skill from her childhood life, and I was rooting for her at every turn.

The plot was SO incredible and I could put this book down!! I was so compelled by the internal politics and training she goes through, and then the later portion of the book was just lore reveal and bombshell after another, which I LOVED. There were a couple of big reveals I guessed quite early on, but the breadcrumbs are there throughout to help you piece it together, and a few parts I didn’t see coming at all - which made me lose my mind in the best way!!

Finally, I loved the romance!!! It was tension filled and angsty, with enough longing to keep you hooked. The spice was so well written and I loved that their dynamic was realistic for the setting and not too fluffy. It didn’t take away from the main plot or become too heavy for the dystopian, militaristic setting. Cross is the pathetically down bad captain that we all need!!

I’ll be thinking about this book for a LONG TIME and I truly cannot wait to see where the series goes from here!

Silver Elite is a natural progression for readers who grew up reading The Hunger Games, Shatter Me, and Divergent. Set in an atmospheric dystopia, this story is dark and raw and beautiful, and does an excellent job of mirroring some of the issues the world is facing today by way of illustrating the potential consequences in a not so distant future.

Set in a land divided by those who have been 'modified', a subset of humans, dubbed Silverbloods. who have received some kind of telepathic powers from what is assumed to be the result of nuclear or bio-weapons, and those who have not. The world is in a constant battle between the Silverbloods and the rest of the world, with each group committing unspeakable acts on the other depended on the current balance of power.

In Silver Elite, oppressive Continent regime has seized control, and Silverbloods are monitored and hunted down for their abilities. Wren is a Silverblood who has been hiding her powers her entire life. Until one day, when her life is turned upside down and she is thrust into the belly of the beast, and forced to train and infiltrate the Continent's most dangerous task force, the Silver Elite, who train exclusively to hunt down Silverbloods like her. Determined to get kicked out of training programme, Wren consistently breaks the rules and finds herself in her commanding officers office, the brooding and mysterious Cross Redden. Even though he's off limits for more reason than one, not the least being that he is son of the Continent's violent general they can't deny their chemistry.

This story is a true enemies to lovers, and deals with reconciling the person you are falling for against everything that they have done to hurt you. It's has some fantastic plot twists and reveals. One plot twist especially made me squeal, and even though I called it early- it still had the intended payoff.

I can't wait for the next one, I cannot wait to see where this story takes us!

I LOVED this. Obsessed from the very beginning. Originally had no idea about this book until seeing someone review it which convinced me to read it and I’m SO glad I did. I’m loving the comeback of dystopia and this just did it for me.

The writing in this book was done so well which is a massive credit to Dani. Although some of the plot was predictable it did not take away from the experience of reading this and still I simply could not put it down. The world building, the romance the twists and betrayal — everything about this had me hooked. Wren portrayed the qualities I love in a FMC and I absolutely connected with her as a character. Overall it was just such a great read.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this early as I’m so glad I did and highly recommend!!

♾️⭐️

I am SO glad I finally got around to reading this ARC and I beyond grateful for being sent it because OMG.

I am absolutely OBSESSED.

This book was everything and so much more. If this is dystopian making a comeback I am absolutely here for it.

I started Silver Elite with no expectations, I didn't reread the blurb beforehand so I went in with an open mind. It consumed every fibre of my being, I was hooked pretty much straight away and I did not want to put it down. And when I did put it down, it took over my brain completely.

I personally loved the writing style and how the author was able to create such palpable tension, you could feel it. The characters, the romance, the plot were all done so well and I can genuinely see this as being a book I read over and over again.

However, I am annoyed that this is clearly book one and I'm now not only going to wait for the publication of this book, but also the next 😅

This book is now part of my roman empire and I will accept no criticism. Thank you Delrey UK and Netgalley for bringing this book into my life 🫶🏻

everyone dystopian is back. this felt so so nostalgic and honestly completely seeing this sub genre being right and center.
this was action packed from the get go. a hint of romances, a lot of twist and some betrayal that I did not see coming

i love our mc, although naive at time she just trying to survive. the romance was swoon worthy. but the CLIFFHANGER? EXCUSE ME. I can't wait for book 2.
the plot and chapters were fast pace making this a binge worthy debut.

thank you del rey uk books and netgalley for the arc.

This one completely surprised me, I absolutely loved this!!

This was my first ever dystopian read & this has convinced me that I need to read more. It flows Wren who is modified (someone with gifts due to biotoxin) & she has spent her live hiding from the primes. The modified are hunted by the company. After a certain event that draws attention to her she is taken captive by the company and recruited to become of their silver elite soliders .

It so fast paced & engaging from page one, the dialogue and the writing absolutely grips you so you never want to put it down!! It’s the kind of book that makes you forget you are reading.

I loved Wren, she was stubborn but fierce & the perfect mix of confident and cocky.

Cross the MMC, has definitely made his way onto my book boyfriend list. The tension & romance between the two was everything. I was giddy, giggling and kicking my feet at the two of them. This man would do anything for her & is down bad for his girl!!

The ending?!?!! I need book two ASAP

If you are dystopian fan I think this will be the read for you, think hunger games meets fourth wing.

Silver Elite is a new dystopian obsession. I absolutely inhaled this book. I loved it so much that I actually don’t know what to write. I would compare it to Divergent and Forth Wing in terms of its addictive nature, the training scenes and brutal regimes. Whilst there may not be dragons there is a call for trying to make it into an elite group, this means plenty of competition and drama.
The FMC is hiding her powers and a force to be reckoned with, very much a Tris character. Then the MMC is cocky and powerful, making me think of Four and Xaden. There are also plenty of side characters that develop well and create that found family trope.
Overall the balance between the romance and action was perfect for me. This is what I want in a romantasy. The world-building is interesting with the divided population and rebels. So both the romance and the fantasy hold up without the other.
For sheer enjoyment factor this book is an easy 5/5, the characters are 5/5 and the plot is a 4/5. This is only because I felt it was slightly predictable at times, but I also was very happy that this was following my predictions making it feel like a nostalgic experience even though it was my first read. I think this will be a favourite series to rival my loved Divergent and Hunger Games.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

2025 is really becoming the return of the Dystopian books! Silver Elite is perfect for fans of Divergent and the recent Fable For The End Of The World. It's set in a dystopian world where people affected by radiation have got powers such as telepathy, projection, healing, mind reading and even mind control. Not everyone has the same skills but most have a tell-tale sign of Silver veins when using their abilities.

Our protagonist Wren, has multiple abilities but also no tell-tale sign of Silver veins. This allows her more freedom to fly under the radar and wow does this come in handy! We follow Wren as she navigates training for Silver block, the companies intelligence department with a smaller subteam named Silver Elite who specialise in covert ops. The story is fast paced and cinematic, Francis' writing style is fantastic and keeps the reader focused and entertained.

There's a large cast of characters but all are memorable and stand out which can be rare for quite a large number of side characters. I didnt struggle to remember who was who, which makes a nice change!

I still have lots of questions but mainly on the larger aspects of the world but I suspect we'll find out more in the sequel, and I will definitely be picking it up!

Thanks to Del Rey & Netgalley for this arc!

*whispers* what the duck was that?! what do you mean? how long do i have to wait for book 2? Dani?! hello?! help me! please...

Well, that was intense. I LOVED this. It took me so much longer to get through than it should have but that is entirely on me and not the book. The atmosphere, the characters, the writing, the intensity, I literally loved all of it. I adore Wren and Cross. I also adore Kaine. But I'm so so on the fence about where we go from here. I feel like we (Wren and us) cannot trust anyone and I literally need book 2 like yesterday. I can't believe I'm going to have to wait to find out what's next.

The early reviews for this have been GLOWING and for good reason. This is how you do yearning and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers. I'm OBSESSED!

Thank you to Del Rey for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

Headlines:
Dystopian romance
Academy vibes
Exciting world
Forbidden connections

Silver Elite felt like a fresh concept but with the kind of romantic connections that have the potential for some serious hype when reading. This story was fast-paced but not too fast, the dystopian world was exciting, easy to understand with sides that were clear then less so as time went on.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the whole context of the story was the covert nature of the FMC Wren's situation. She had to hide who she was, her gifts being outlawed and of course, she was special. Pitched as her superior was Cross, who was sceptical of Wren's motives, associations and family history. That family history had me very curious and needy to know more. By the end of the story, I feel even more needy for more about Wren's parents.

I am a complete sucker for an academy/training situation. There were lots of thrills and twists along the way that kept me turning those pages avidly. The plot was pretty bloodthirsty and I never knew who would be at risk next.

Both the general plot and the romance felt somewhat angsty and I wasn't sorry about that. The foreshadowing about the two telepaths was pretty easy to guess but this didn't spoil my enjoyment, in fact, I loved that reveal when it came. The final twists in this installment ensure readership as soon as the next story drops.

This is a great new book on the block and I'm excited for others to read this.

Thank you to Delrey UK for the review copy.

If you’re looking for a book nostalgic of the popular dystopian book era, then you might like this. This felt very reminiscent of Divergent. However, I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re expecting something new and original within the dystopian genre.

Let’s start with what I did like.

The pacing was fast and the plot was addictive and entertaining most of the time so I did speed through this book. I did enjoy the different trials that were thrown at the soldier recruits. The dystopian setting was easy for me to immerse myself in. Despite me enjoying most of the plot, the last 50 pages was too messy for me to even enjoy.

However, It was fascinating seeing the exploration of the power imbalance between Primes and Mods and the oppression that both types of people have experienced in this dystopian world. I would have liked more discussion on the oppression.

Now onto what I didn’t like.

To be honest, I felt no connection with either the FMC or MMC as a couple or as individuals. The FMC was a lot more tolerable for me though. She is Modified and very overpowered. I was impressed with her cleverness at times but other times she was extremely reckless so I couldn’t help but burst out laughing from the whiplash of her acting reckless one moment and then clever in the next moment.

The romance was definitely not for me at all. There was a lot of lusting and spice but barely any emotional connection or development and I personally prefer more emotional depth in romances before even getting to the spice.

Did I cringe at the interactions between the FMC and MMC? Honestly, yes, quite a lot. But I think the plot made up for my lack of enjoyment with the romance. Be prepared for MANY descriptions of how insanely hot the enemy captain is. And yeah, I get it girl, he’s insanely hot. But what else is there? His brooding and yet compassionate personality underneath doesn’t really stand out among other MMCs. I was hoping for more depth on the dynamic between the FMC and MMC.

There were a few more issues I had that were not romance-related but they are quite spoilery so I won’t go into those issues. Overall, this was a disappointing read but to be honest, I don’t regret giving this book a try.

3.5 stars
Content warning: magical manipulation, death, public execution, enforced imprisonment, murder, torture, sexual harassment and abuse, injury detail

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

Initially, this story did not appeal to me and I almost DNF'd it. I struggled to find any footing with Wren as the main protagonist. This sadly continued to be one of the negative parts of this story and is one of the main reasons I didn't give this a higher star rating. Because once I was settled into the storyline, it was quite hard to put the book down. I don't have a lot of experience with dystopian reads - it's an area of sci-fi fantasy that I don't tip into on the regular, which I sometimes see as a good thing, and worked for this story. I liked the world-building and the authoritarian governed society. The restraints and dissent between Primes and Mods was interesting, and I was equal parts invested in the rebellion against the government as I was in the military base where Wren was forced into applying for Silver Block and then Silver Elite. The relationships that Wren makes with those around her are mostly interesting, even if she remained unlikeable and really messy throughout. The trajectory and pressure mounting as Wren rode the middle line of both worlds was well done though, and I am invested enough in the story to continue, thanks to some core supporting characters and plot twists.

However, as I mentioned, Wren was not the FMC for me. I personally don't like the over-assured "I know I'm better than everyone else here" types, and Wren, for all the consequences in the world, continued to make the most ridiculously exasperating decisions. She never learned how her actions could affect other people, and even when friends and colleagues around her started dropping off, she never wizened up. Some may see her lack of conformity as a strength in a world setting like this, and I can respect in some instances it worked. But I grew tired of her antics and some of her choices were so bizarrely stupid. This meant that the entire romance portion of the read felt less than stellar. Cross didn't feel like a fully fleshed male protagonist all the time. His baser needs interfered with the genuine character development he had, and there were many lines delivered that I rolled my eyes at. Had he been paired with anyone else, I might have enjoyed him a lot more, and the other main male character, and even Cross' best friend, ended up being more interesting than he was to me. The romance was very beige and constant, with a very predictable outcome from the beginning. Had the focus not been on how many times they could have sex or how he was the son of the enemy, and more on the actual interesting storyline, I would have easily given this a higher rating.

It is so conflicting to say I enjoyed this, because I did, and it was hard to put down at times, but equally wish for so much more than what was delivered upon. I'm hoping that where this story ended will lead to more in the sequel to enjoy.

4.5 stars
thank you, Penguin Random House, for an e-arc of this debut series.

this was sold to me as Forth Wing meets Hunger Games, and that was right on the money. It gives military training, hidden powers, and slow burn banter. Silver Elite gives more distopian than fantasy, but the dynamics between Wren and the commanding officer Cross is proper enemy to lover vibes. If I had to add one more comparison into the mix, it would be Stephanie Meyers' Host. Having two people so intrinsically set against each other but needing to build trust to survive.

The only reason I didn't give five stars was because after the initial introduction, it just felt a little info dumpy. there was a lot to set up, but once the fundamentals were done, the story just took me away. I enjoyed the powers of the modified population and how they present.

I devoured the book and am fuming that I'm going to have to wait for book two. I loved the realistic characteristics of Wren, our main character, who is an orphan brought up in hiding. Even when making bad choices you appreciate it makes sense for her at that point. I think Cross is a future book boyfriend for this generation. As an older reader, I did age up the characters everso slightly, but they weren't ridiculously young and had an appropriate age gap which I appreciate.

recommend.

I loved this book so so much!! I knew from the start that it was going be amazing because I was hooked in right away! I felt like I was 14 again reading my favourite dystopian series and I am obsessed.

I thought the writing style was so easy to read and I loved how we found ourselves straight into the action and learnt things about the world as the book went along.

I absolutely loved Wren as an FMC, I thought she was so badass despite all she had been through. She had to be very clever and determined through all the challenges she faced throughout the course of the book.

Cross was the perfect balance of grumpy and scary to begin with, but then when he turns out to be SO obsessed with Wren, it had me giddy when I was reading! I loved how their relationship developed and was sort of like a forbidden love because it made it so exciting!!

I cannot wait to read the next one, as the plot twists and reveals towards the end of the book had my jaw on the floor! I’m so hooked and could not get enough of the characters. I thought the world was so unique and I loved reading about all the training exercises they had to go through.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me access to read this ARC! It was absolutely amazing and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

This is the best book that I've read in about 2 years.

That's how much I loved it.
I stayed up way too late to read it, or should that be devouring this book?

Full of plot, romanace, chemistry, friendships, and tension.

The world-building is second to none, and the details that the author has included are just 👌.

It's not often that a book can make me forget that I'm reading - but this book did just that.

The characters are well developed. There are the ones that you are cheering on from the sidelines, the ones that you hate with a passion and the ones that just completely blindside you.

The main characters, though! Wren and Cross. I don't know what to say about them. They are so real. You're with Wren every step of the way. She's headstrong, sarcastic, and reckless - and she knows what her flaws are. She is so self- aware. She struggles with the world that she unwittingly finds herself in and is confused with the friendships that she is developing.
Cross can't help but be drawn towards Wren, and he tries so hard to fight it . He is her commanding officer, and he absolutely DOES NOT fratenise with recruits.
Until Wren, that is. She really does get under his skin.
Their relationship develops at a believable pace, and the tension between them is palpable, but it's so much deeper than just attraction.

I did see one of the plot twists coming a mile off, but not in a bad way. It took a bloody long time to be revealed, and the way that it happened had me grinning and exclaiming to the point that my husband stopped what he was doing to ask about what I was reading.
THIS NEVER HAPPENS.

This is such a strong start to the series, and I can not wait to see what the author has in store for us in the next book.

I will be first in the queue when this book is released next month and eagerly awaiting the next in the series.